Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-06
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
xNiERPRmEs THAT WILL ADD TO
RIcHnoaDs PROSPERITY.
Bsssensr-stsei Plant on Belle Isle-shos.
Factory Glass Works
Paper aiiis, 90.


1864 hands employed, Of whom 1920
were white women and girls. Capital
10 the amount of $4,000, 900 was in
vested in these enterprises, and the
new year was looked to TO increase our
prosperity in this respect. This hope
10 beginning to be realized. New
manufactures are springing up; indus
tries that viii bring skilled workmen
here to add TO our population, that
viii diversity our interests and odd to
eur importance as manufacturing
centre. Including Manchester, there
Ia here population OF 5000 or more,
and the city is steadily growing. One
Of our most lamentable wants Is about
10 be supplied--that is TO say, we are
to have more extensive street-car IA
cilities.
Richmond is much larger, a more
populous, and wealthier city than At
lanta, bus Atlanta has 2lt miles OF
horse-car tracks. But we are now
about 10 improve our condition.
The Richmond street railway are
now actually proceeding to extend
their line TO the New reservoir. The
Union Passenger Railway Company
IL not taxed to death by the City Coun
cil-wilI connect Church and Union
Hills with the business portions of the
city, and viii reach out by Franklin,
Bank, Seventh, Clay, Hancock, Reser.
voir, and Ashland streets to the south
ern entrance of the New-reseryoir
grounds
With these two schemes fulfilled land
il only rests with the City Council to
say that they shall be), the disunited
sections of Richmond viii be brought
together and mechanics and laboring
men may go out to the suburbs, rent
4. houses at low prices, and use the street
cars going to and from their daily bust
ness.
Nowadays street-cars and manufac-
lures grow up together. Hence the
stirring and ambitious cities OF this
country do all that is possible to en-
courage and stimulate them. In many
places they are offered exemption from
taxation; in some they are actually
subsidized.
Now here we see the most extraordi-
nary boom in suburban real estate ever
known. All OF its substantially comes
from the proposed street railways and
from the new manufactures about to be
inaugrIrated here.
Below are mentioned some large en-
terprises that are certain things. Others
are talked about.
THE NEW BEssRNER STEEL PLANT or THE cid
DOMINION IRON AND NAIL-woRKS
A Dispatch reporter was on Belle Isle yester-
day, and had quite an interesting interview
with Mr.. John ID. Baird, the assistant superin-
tendent and engineer Of the Old Dominion Iron
and Nall Works, with reference 10 the Besse-
mer-steel plant now In the course OF cOnstruc-
ton there, which win be completed by the last
Of April MIR. Baird said that for leng num-
Der Of years nails and bar-iron have been made
here from iron exclusively. This iron has been
manufactured at the works from pig-iron. In
The West iron nails have been driven from the
market and those made OF steel have sup
planted them. and at present but few OF the
former are sold In that market
In the North the manufacturers are turning
out large quantities OF steel nails, made OF
steel brought from Europe.
The Old Dominion Iron and Nall Works"
said Mr.. Baird, "are about 20 make nails and
bars OF steel at their works from pig-iron. We
have been making nails Of purchased steel for |
several months past They are OF a superior |
quality and much In demand, but as soon |
az our Besssmer plant Is completed, as have |
already stated, We viii make all OF our nails |
from steel made ON the island.
The following Is description of the Besse- |
mer plant, which will have capacity Of 200
tons, and the process by which the rough pig
iron win be converted into the polished steel
nails:
The pig-iron and coke required 70 make tho
steel will he taken 10 the steam-hoist, which Is
supplied with all the safety devices known In
practice: thence 1t goes quickly TO the charging
platform OF the cupolas, which are y feet
from the ground. There are Two cnpolas-9o
inches In diameter each and 30 feet hgh-of
the most improved modern type, strongly sup |
ported ON heavy cast-iron columns, which are |
toited top and bottom TO huge csstiron plates, |
and are provided with cooling-plate and wind |
space where heat is most destructive Two
blowers Of large size supply these cupolas with |
. the blast required, The iron, after being |
melted In these cupolas, is swung from them |
10 the two conventers alternately by means OF |
four-ton ladle, which IL carried by a powerful |
crane resting on the converter platform: |
This adle with its iron, when In the vicinity OF
the converter, is tilted automatically into the |
converter, and Is ready for Its conversion to |
Bessemer steel. The two convertefs, each ca !
pable OF holding four tons Of metal, are made |
entirely Of steel and built In the most substan-
tial manner. After the converters are charged |
with the melted iron the metal Is blown with |
wind by powerful upright blowing engine OF |
the Weimer type, which weighs about forty |
tons, and has 30-iDch steam cylinder, So-inch |
blowing cylinder, and 36-incb stroke, and Is |
capable Of giving n wind pressure OF forty |
pounds 10 the square inch. Has water jacket /
around the blowing cylinder TO prevent wear
Ign
After the metal has been blown tn the point |
required. which can only be known by one ex-
pert In the business, certain amount OF man.
eanese Is added 10 the blown metal and the |
conversion Of the iron 70 Bessemer steel Is &C
plished. The converter is then tilted by |
means Of a hydraulic ram, and the four tons OF
steel Is poured out OF the converter into steel
3adle resting on another crane. TIE steel IL now
tapped from the bottom OF this ladle tRto moulds
standing In the circular pit beneath. Two more